


The Permission Slip

by gothqueen



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Fluff, Multi, The Adventure Zone: Balance, angus mcdonald - Freeform, taako - Freeform, the adventure zone - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-11-02 00:37:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20562182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gothqueen/pseuds/gothqueen
Summary: Angus has a small problem that he brings to Taako because he isn't sure who else to ask: Who is going to sign his permission slip from school?





	The Permission Slip

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: There are spoilers if you have not finished The Adventure Zone: Balance. Do not read if you do not want spoilers

Taako walked around his kitchen, gathering supplies for his newest dish that he was planning to present to the class soon. It had to be perfect, and also a challenge that would leave his students impressed and at a loss for how they could ever copy the recipe or make anything like it. 

He had just turned on the oven and was waiting for it to heat up when there was a knock at the door. He sighed, debating whether he should just ignore whoever was at the door or actually answer it. But if he did ignore it they probably wouldn’t go away and he would lose his focus. It would just be easier to tell whoever it was to go away. 

He opened the door, holding up his hand to stop whatever speech was going to come from whoever had figured out where he lived. But he stopped as he heard the all too familiar voice, “H-hello sir! I’m really sorry to bother you. I tried to come over before you started cooking...but I guess I showed up too late.” It seemed the young detective had noticed the smoke already coming from Taako's chimney and assumed that meant he was cooking.

Angus was one of the few people Taako would allow into his house, even while he was cooking. The other person was Kravitz. Everyone else was too loud or would try to mess with his recipe, like Magnus and Lup. Magnus actually thought he was being helpful, Lup just enjoyed messing with him. “No worries, nothing’s started besides the oven. Come on in.” 

He walked back into the house. Angus followed behind him, quickly shutting the door behind him and taking his usual seat on a barstool at the kitchen island. 

“So, what’s up Ango?” he asked, combining the spices he had already measured out. 

“Well…” 

Taako looked back at Angus. It wasn’t normal for the boy detective to be at a loss for words. Usually he would ramble when he was nervous. He sighed as he stopped mixing the spices and walked back to Angus. He set his elbows on the kitchen island, giving all of his attention to the kid. “Come on, you can tell Uncle Taako anything.” 

Angus nodded his head before pulling out a permission slip and laying it on the kitchen island. “I have a permission slip that I got from school. Mr. Lucas wants to take us to Phandalin to show us all the new inventions that have been placed in New Phandalin as well as what remains of the crater that was created by the Phoenix Gauntlet.” 

“Okaaay?” Taako said, taking the permission slip and looking it over. It didn’t seem like anything special, so he didn’t understand the problem. “Need me to forge a signature for you, or what?” 

“Well, sir...that’s kind of the problem. I’m not sure who should sign it. It says my legal guardian but…” he motioned with his hands as he tried to talk. “I thought that maybe I should ask the director, but I don’t technically work for her anymore. So, I don’t think she would be the right person.” 

Taako had never thought about this issue. Angus had always been completely self-sufficient, so it was hard to remember that he was only 10 years old...actually he might even be 11 by now. But still, he was so young that he had to get someone’s permission just to go to a town. “What about your grandfather?” he asked. That silver set had belonged to Angus’s grandfather, right? Which meant that there had to be a grandfather. 

“Um..well...about that. I don’t actually have a grandfather.” 

“What?! Then who did the silver belong to?” Had Angus lied to him the first time they met? He was actually slightly impressed. 

“It was a valuable that I got to lure the killer. He wouldn’t have been on the train if there wasn’t anything valuable to steal. I didn’t know that there would be someone else with something even more valuable.” 

“First of all, Ango, you should have told me before that you could lie. That is a skill that we need to nurture. But second...I will sign the permission slip.” 

“Sir?” Angus asked, fixing his glasses, which made his already wide eyes look even bigger as he watched Taako sign the permission slip with a flourish. 

“However, there is one thing that I expect from you as...hmm, we can call it payment, for signing the permission slip.” 

“Payment sir?” 

“Yes, I expect you to come back here every weekend. I’ll have a room set up properly for you. Might as well continue your magic lessons while we’re at it. And if you need any more permission slips signed you can ask me or Kravitz.” 

Angus looked shocked, but Taako had also never seen him smile so wide. “Th-thank you sir!” he cried, jumping down from the stool and wrapping his arms around Taako. 

Taako stared at Angus, feeling a slight twinge of regret. He should have just signed the permission slip and let it go. But, he ignored that thought as he rolled his eyes and patted Angus on the back. “Yeah, yeah.” 

\-- -- --

Kravitz stretched his arms as he walked through the door of his house, Lup and Barry right behind him. He stopped as he looked at the scene around him. “Umm...babe?” 

Taako was levitating boxes with the word ‘books’ scribbled across the front. Magnus was carrying what looked like a freshly sawed bed frame up the stairs. Merle was carrying out some old books and weapons that Kravitz knew Taako kept in their spare room. 

“Hey babe!” Taako called, setting the boxes down before walking over and giving his lover a kiss to welcome him home. “So, a funny thing happened today. Angus is moving in with us.” 

“Angus?” The kid detective, if Kravitz remembered correctly. He had only met him a couple of times. And sure Taako seemed to like him, more than most people, but not enough to let him move in with them. 

“I didn’t know you wanted the domestic life so bad that you would adopt a kid,” Lup teased as she slung an arm around Taako’s shoulder. “What brought this sudden decision on? I have to know!” 

Taako looked back at his sister, his face unusually serious. “He didn’t have anyone to sign a permission slip.” 

“Oh…” The restrained laughter melted from Lup’s face, as if she understood everything from that one sentence. Well, she probably did if Kravitz thought about it. The two understood each other better then Kravitz or Barry could ever hope to understand either one of them. That was something that both of them had accepted, but it was still weird at times like this when they were reminded of that. 

“I know I probably should have talked this over with you first…” Taako said, looking back at Kravitz. 

“You don’t have to worry. Though...I would like an explanation about the permission slip?” Maybe there was some importance to it that he just wasn’t understanding.

Taako nodded as he took Kravitz hand and pulled him out of the house. “Hey, since you two are home, help bring the boxes upstairs. Ango can barely carry one at a time, and it's taking forever!” 

“Why does he need so many books?” Lup called back. 

“I asked the same thing! You can listen to his explanation!” He shut the door before leading Kravitz to walk around the large property that the two of them shared. “So...the permission slip thing.” 

“Yes, I thought they were just simple pieces of paper. Was I wrong?” 

“No, you weren’t. Well, usually they are, but when Angus came in and told me he had no one to sign it...it just reminded me of the childhood Lup and I had… There was no one to depend on but ourselves. We were always moving place to place, and we could never be sure what the next day would bring. I know Angus isn’t in the exact same situation. He has the school, and the b-o-b if anything ever happened with that. But...neither of those is a family.” 

Taako sighed as he shook his head. “Lup was right! Domestic life has made me weak and sentimental!” 

Kravitz could only laugh as he stopped Taako and pulled him into a kiss. “I think it's sweet. You have always wanted to take care of your friends, and Angus is a friend. You brag about him more then Magnus or Merle.” 

“Well, yeah, he’s done more than the two of them that’s worth bragging about.” 

“Yes, but the way you brag about him is different. You already acted like an older brother. It makes sense that we should make that official, and give him a proper home that he will know he can always come back to.” 

“Also, it turns out that Angus can actually lie! Can you imagine what would happen if a kid like that grew up to become as twisted as me?! With his brains, and an improved skill at lying...he could become a real problem!” 

“I don’t know babe, I don’t think it would be the worst thing if he turned out like you.” 

“You’re just being sweet because you know I majorly owe you.” 

“No, I’m not. But you do majorly owe me.” 

\-- Three Weeks Later --

Kravitz and Angus were setting the table, preparing for the monthly dinner where everyone came over and talked about what they had been doing. “You seem to be staying here rather than at the dorms,” Kravitz said, starting a conversation with the young boy detective who had started warming up to him. 

“O-oh yes, sir. I have. If that’s a problem…” 

“No, no!” Kravitz quickly cut in. “I was just thinking, your room isn’t set up for all the school work you get from that school of technology. Since Magnus was coming over tonight, I was thinking we could ask him about possibly making you a proper desk. Knowing him, he could probably even make it especially for you and fit any requirements you might need.” 

“O-oh sir, that’s too much. I’m really fine without one.” 

“Oh please!” Taako laughed as he walked into the room, setting down the hors devours, “You have gotten sauce on half your homework assignments because I cook while you do homework. Lucas has even commented on how half of the paper you bring in smells smokey because I was experimenting with smoked meats. You definitely need a proper desk. Even if it doesn’t go in your room, you need something.” 

“I also took one of your assignments by accident,” Kravitz laughed. “The raven queen was quite impressed with your level of mechanical understanding. However, it was not the list of offenses she had asked for that day.” 

Taako laughed as he imagined the raven queen reading the assignment and wondering why Kravitz had brought her blue-prints for an improved train or battle wagon. “Oh, and if we’re talking about things that need to change, I have one!” 

“Sir?” Angus asked, looking nervous. 

“That’s it, that right there! You are living here, but you still call me sir. Just last week you called out sir! And Kravitz, Barry, and me all came running. You should call us something else. Also, it makes me feel old!” 

“Babe...we are old,” Kravitz pointed out. 

“Not by elf standards we’re not!” Kravitz looked as if he was doing the math, including the lost century and how old he technically was so he could compare it to Elf standards. “We’re not old!” Taako repeated. 

“Then, what should I call you?” Angus asked. 

“You could call them dad,” Lup said, not even knocking as she entered the house. “Then I could be aunty Lup!” 

“No! Calling me dad would make me feel old too! It’s almost worse than sir!” 

“Well, it kinda fits,” Barry said, following his wife in and hanging up both their coats. “Angus has been showing off the lunches you make him, and he’s been making us all quite jealous.” 

“I don’t make those for him because he’s my kid! I make them for him because I tried the cafeteria food at that place and nearly threw up! Making him eat it would be a kind of torture even I’m not comfortable with!” 

“Yeah,” Lup agreed with a roll of her eyes, “That’s why you make him a personal lunch every single day. Like the only other person you do that for isn’t Kravitz.” 

“And he doesn’t even technically have to eat,” Barry added. 

“You know what? Neither of you get to eat tonight!” Taako declared. He reached to take the appetizers away but Lup was faster then him and already eating one of the delicacies. 

“Aww, come on, don’t be like that! We’re only trying to help Angus figure out what he should call you. And I didn’t even suggest dingus!” 

“The only reason you didn’t suggest that is because you know my sweet little Angus would never call me that, and if he did then it meant he would call you goofus.” 

“Your sweet little Angus?” Lup asked. 

“You heard what I said!” 

“Angus, how would you feel just calling us by our names?” Kravitz asked. 

“Without the mister!” Taako quickly added. 

“W-would that really be okay, sirs?” Angus asked, before blushing when he realized he had done the exact thing they had just told him not to do. “I-I mean...Taako and Kravitz?” 

“Of course it is, Ango, we were the ones who told you to do it, after all. Now, how about you help Kravitz finish setting the table and I’l go check on our dinner.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it!


End file.
